[Bob Tompkins]

First, I would like to thank Shane and Jeremy for not assuming I am an idiot. Using your sage wisdom and advice I WAS able to download the correct drivers again (they work!) and make my way through the menus to the USB functions. I do not have a Firewire 400 10 pin to Firewire 800 cable (go figure) so I had to use USB 2 but I will get one in the future. So I am happy to say that Snow Leopard and FCP 7 will indeed work with P2.

Thanks Guys!

[Bob Tompkins]

My question was pretty vague, so I don’t consider you being snide. I am an experienced FCP user but coming back into after a couple of years. I have never used P2 until this week (I did mention that this was a demo) but would love to. I am trying to download from the 170 directly from the camera, through USB2 into the MacBook Pro. The camera (therefore the P2 card) is not recognized using multiple cables. I have tried to download drivers from the Panasonic site but they will not work. My reading indicates that Panasonic is not supporting P2 with with Mac OS 10.6 (or vice-versa). I ran many of the tutorials (thanks, Shane) but I can’t find one that tells me what to do when the camera is not recognized. Any help would be appreciated.

[Bob Tompkins]

There is a Canon model that is pretty cheap that has an ext mic connector. Call a reputable Camera retailer and ask which one it is. It does not come with a headphone jack unfortunately. Apparently you can’t have both.

[Bob Tompkins]

I just recently figuerd out(through experimentation, because who reads the directions) that Elements does exactly what I want it to do through “Get Media From”. It reads the DVD, gives me a menu of what can be imported, allows me to select files and then imports the file directly into my program. It is a miracle!

[Bob Tompkins]

I tried a couple of the programs mentioned and they are sort of klunky and slow. I am willing to pay for a program as good as DVD x DV if anyone knows of one. I am legitimately taking archived DVD footage and bringing it back into Premiere so I am not looking for a program designed to “steal” commercial movies to use for another purpose.

[Bob Tompkins]

Thank you so much.

[Bob Tompkins]

try resellerratings.com. They are a very good resource for finding legitimate vendors. You will read some real nightmares about offers that are too good to be true.

[Bob Tompkins]

Thanks to your help we were able to design an adapter which allows us to use headphones with the camera. We are we are using the three pin connector, cutting off the video cable and splicing a headphone connector to the remaining two wires. Works great.

Thanks.

[Bob Tompkins]

….but not too polite to ask? 😉

Please see my reply for lame answer.

[Bob Tompkins]

Thanks for your help.

We will try the headphones through the A/V cable but I do not hold much hope for it since it is a line signal. We were able to boost the output of this jack using a personal monitoring device but it is one more thing for the students to have to learn and remember.

This is the first Canon we have owned (of many different models) that does not have a menu switchable A/V jack to headphones. Apparently Canon has decided this is no longer important. They are WRONG.

We bought them from our usual reputable dealer because they were the ONLY inexpensive model available with an external microphone jack (apparently those are not important anymore either). We assumed (don’t say it) that they had switchable A/V jacks. In fact, until I actually went to teach them I did not realize it.

Again thanks for your reply. Another opinion is always helpful.